Sprinters!

[43021HST]

As a member of this forum pointed out the other day, whats with this forum and sprinters? Everyones gone sprinter crazy at the moment, We've had quite a few threads about them and everyone is changing their avatars to sprinters as well. Whats going on?

I didnt know they were that fasinating.

 

[sonic2009]

Maybe that the majority of 150s are leaving the west midlands to new pastures

 

[sprinterguy]

Well, I've been Sprinter mad since long before I joined this forum! Principally 156s. So given my user name, I feel that I should probably have some input into this thread.

The replacement of LMs' 150s with 172s and the resulting cascade of additional Sprinters to other operators is no doubt playing a major part in the current Sprinter-centric focus of many threads on this forum. And then of course there's the odd unrelated thread covering Sprinters of a nature other than those of LM.

They're pretty prevalent units, and reasonably well liked most of the time, so it's inevitable that there's going to be a few threads about them!

 

[Class172]

The recent and ongoing events with the LM cascade have certainly contributed to the recent 'sprinter spree.' I also am a fan of sprinters, especially 150s - I have been near them nearly all my life and I love the sound. I am glad that some 150s are staying with LM, though I would have preferred to have seen 150001/150002 to stay.

 

[YorkshireBear]

Cascades they are also involved in some of the future electrification schemes so get talked about a lot.

Plus there fantastic! a day on a sprinter is a day well spent

 

[SouthEastern-465]

Cascades they are also involved in some of the future electrification schemes so get talked about a lot.

Plus there fantastic! a day on a sprinter is a day well spent

Rather spend mine on a Networker thanks!

Although I think the number of sprinter fan probably out numbers Networker fans so best not arguing *hides*

 

[Schnellzug]

Sprinters rock!



Although not so much as Pacers, obviously.







:roll:

 

[43021HST]

Sprinters rock!



Although not so much as Pacers, obviously.







:roll:

Pacers literally rock

 

[YorkshireBear]

Rather spend mine on a Networker thanks!

Although I think the number of sprinter fan probably out numbers Networker fans so best not arguing *hides*

never been on one in fact ive only been on merseyrail 3rd rail stock so no comment from me on networkers!

 

[tbtc]

We've had quite a few threads about them

...plus one more

Its hard not to talk about Sprinters, they run from the Far North Line and Mallaig to Cornwall/ London/ Brighton. In fact, you could maybe still do the complete journey from the north coast of the UK to the south coast of the UK?

Plus, as electrification won't be sufficient enough to replace all 1980s DMUs before the end of 2019 (when DDA regulations kick in), Sprinters will need to be "converted", which has caused a fair few comments on here.

 

[CarterUSM]

I'll miss my 156's when they go.

 

[sprinterguy]

In fact, you could maybe still do the complete journey from the north coast of the UK to the south coast of the UK?

Yes, having thought about it briefly I believe you could get all the way from Thurso to Penzance entirely on Sprinters.

 

[rail-britain]

I'll miss my 156's when they go.

The 156 was the best thing to hit Central Scotland, thanks for the rail strike that brought these instead of 150/2 units as had been planned
However they are tired and looking their age now
Presumably in 10 years time they will just be as bad as the units they replaced in the late 1990s, although as yet I've not seen any as bad as those used to be

I won't miss the 156 on the GSW and WHL, these should have been upgraded years ago with a basic air con DMU for such long journeys

Equally, I remember the Class 150/1 units when they were new on the North Wales lines
Seemed great at the time but it was the beginning of the end of many services which should have remained loco hauled

 

[tbtc]

Yes, having thought about it briefly I believe you could get all the way from Thurso to Penzance entirely on Sprinters.

Could be a fun week

 

[sprinterguy]

Could be a fun week

It does sound like quite a challenge!

 

[Oswyntail]

Yes, having thought about it briefly I believe you could get all the way from Thurso to Penzance entirely on Sprinters.

Except 158s are not Sprinters, they are Express units

 

[WatcherZero]

Class 150, Sprinter
Class 153, 155, 156, Super Sprinter
Class 158, Express Sprinter
Class 159, Turbo Sprinter (or Western Turbo)

 

[RPM]

Sprinters and Super Sprinters were a learning curve for BREL. The pinnacle of BR DMUs were the 165s and 166s. Discuss...

 

[Ivo]

Sprinters and Super Sprinters were a learning curve for BREL. The pinnacle of BR DMUs were the 165s and 166s. Discuss...

Pieces of rubbish.

Next topic?

 

[fgwrich]

The recent and ongoing events with the LM cascade have certainly contributed to the recent 'sprinter spree.' I also am a fan of sprinters, especially 150s - I have been near them nearly all my life and I love the sound. I am glad that some 150s are staying with LM, though I would have preferred to have seen 150001/150002 to stay.

No! There ours now (hopefully)

You know what, i hadn't actually realised how many people would really pick up my 150 in my avatar - I hadn't really thought about it that much, just shrunk a nice picture down, and replaced my phot of the original prototype HST livery!

 

[Blindtraveler]

trying to work out how you could do the whole north to south thing exclusively ö sprinters. First stumbling block is that the HML INV - GLQ is 170 opperated mainly. Thoughts?

 

[sprinterguy]

Except 158s are not Sprinters, they are Express units

They're still part of the Sprinter family though, originally branded as "Sprinter Express".

 

[route:oxford]

They're still part of the Sprinter family though, originally branded as "Sprinter Express".

"Scotrail Express"

 

[sprinterguy]

trying to work out how you could do the whole north to south thing exclusively ö sprinters. First stumbling block is that the HML INV - GLQ is 170 opperated mainly. Thoughts?

158s are used to strengthen a select number of Highland Main Line services, so it would go something like this:
1. Thurso to Inverness: SR 158
2. Inverness to Glasgow: I don't know if any of the Inverness to Glasgow direct services use 158s for strengthening. If not, you would have to catch an Edinburgh train (strengthened with a 158) into the Central Belt, and then hunt out a 156 or 158 working a short distance service into Glasgow.
3. Glasgow to Carlisle via Kilmarnock & Dumfries: SR 156
4. Carlisle to Leeds via the S&C: NO 158
5. Leeds to Manchester via the Caldervale: NO 150/153/155/158
6. Get across to Chester from Manchester using a Northern service. There are some Sprinters make it out that way, right?
7. Chester to Birmingham New Street: ATW 158
8. Birmingham New Street to Worcester: Now that LM are in the process of getting rid of their 150s, this leg of the journey is a lot more difficult. I believe that there is still intended to be a single 150 diagram down to Worcester though when all the 172s are in service.
9. I think FGW 158s make it as far north as Worcester from Cheltenham. You'd need to take one of these south towards Bristol.
10. Various links between FGW 150s and 158s from Bristol to Penzance, and possibly an SWT 159. I don't know which sections of the South West (Cornish) main line the FGW local services cover, but I think you could make it all the way through Devon and Cornwall on 150s, 153s and 158s.

 

[142094]

158s are used to strengthen a select number of Highland Main Line services, so it would go something like this:
1. Thurso to Inverness: SR 158
2. Inverness to Glasgow: I don't know if any of the Inverness to Glasgow direct services use 158s for strengthening. If not, you would have to catch an Edinburgh train (strengthened with a 158) into the Central Belt, and then hunt out a 156 or 158 working a short distance service into Glasgow.
3. Glasgow to Carlisle via Kilmarnock & Dumfries: SR 156
4. Carlisle to Leeds via the S&C: NO 158
5. Leeds to Manchester via the Caldervale: NO 150/153/155/158
6. Get across to Chester from Manchester using a Northern service. There are some Sprinters make it out that way, right?
7. Chester to Birmingham New Street: ATW 158
8. Birmingham New Street to Worcester: Now that LM are in the process of getting rid of their 150s, this leg of the journey is a lot more difficult. I believe that there is still intended to be a single 150 diagram down to Worcester though when all the 172s are in service.
9. I think FGW 158s make it as far north as Worcester from Cheltenham. You'd need to take one of these south towards Bristol.
10. Various links between FGW 150s and 158s from Bristol to Penzance, and possibly an SWT 159. I don't know which sections of the South West main line the FGW local services cover, but I think you could make it all the way through Devon and Cornwall on 150s, 153s and 158s.

Now imagine doing all that on a 14x!

Wasn't there a plan a few months back to have a charity Pacer ride from somewhere like the Far North down to PNZ?

 

[Eagle]

I don't know which sections of the South West main line the FGW local services cover,

The only parts of the SWML that FGW run on are St Denys to Millbrook and Dorchester Junction to Weymouth. Also, SWT don't go beyond Exeter any more.

 

[sprinterguy]

The only part of the SWML that FGW run on is Southampton to Millbrook. Also, SWT don't go beyond Exeter any more.

By South West Main Line, I was referring to London Paddington to Exeter, Plymouth and Penzance via the Berks & Hants. That's probably not its' proper title (Cornish Main Line would have been less ambiguous), but I wouldn't consider Southampton as "South West" (even though it was on the main line of the London and South Western Railway!): It's just a part of that strange and mysterious area known as "The South", which might as well be on Mars for all I know of third rail territory.

Cornish main line it is then.

I thought SWT still ran through to Paignton. Thanks for the correction. It would be possible to take a FGW Portsmouth service through to Yeovil and then travel on a SWT 159 to Exeter though, as part of my plan.

 

[Eagle]

The South West Main Line only ever refers to the Waterloo–Weymouth line. It's the official name, and the common name. Always has been, always will be. :P

 

[jopsuk]

By South West Main Line, I was referring to London Paddington to Exeter, Plymouth and Penzance via the Berks & Hants. That's probably not its' proper title (Cornish Main Line would have been less ambiguous), but I wouldn't consider Southampton as "South West" (even though it was on the main line of the London and South Western Railway!): It's just a part of that strange and mysterious area known as "The South", which might as well be on Mars for all I know of third rail territory.

When it comes to the official railway name for things, "common sense" doesn't always come into it. After all, under BR Kings Lynn and Exeter were both the "South East"- still are given the continued existence of the Network Railcard with discount code "NSE".

To be more confusing, the line branching off the "South West Main Line" at Basingstoke to Exeter is the "West of England Mainline"

 

[sprinterguy]

The South West Main Line only ever refers to the Waterloo–Weymouth line. It's the official name, and the common name. Always has been, always will be. :P

Fair enough, I shall endeavour to use the term "Cornish main line" for the Plymouth and Penzance route in the future.